Insurance tailored to your travels outside Canada.
Find great travel insurance to stay safe while you’re away.
We compare rates from Canada's top providers, including:
Travel insurance in Canada.
Stay safe while you’re away from home.
We have travel insurance for every Canadian, wherever you’re travelling.
Our licensed brokers work one-on-one with you, customizing a policy that’s right for your trip.
We survey rates from travel insurance companies across the country to find you the best coverage at the lowest rate.
We’ve done the shopping so you don’t have to.
How does it work?
Why use DirectRate.ca?
We’ve helped thousands of Canadians save millions of dollars on their insurance costs.
Our brokers have expert knowledge of travel insurance coverage from companies across the country.
No matter your needs, we’ll help find you a great plan.
What does travel insurance cover?
Trip insurance policies offer benefit coverages, often referred to simply as ‘benefits’. When selecting a plan, closely consider which benefits you’re mostly likely to need in case of emergency.
Some common benefits include:
Emergency dental - Some expenses, subject to a limit, may be covered if you require emergency dental treatment while away from home.
Lost or stolen baggage - With this benefit, you can be covered for lost or stolen bags, for the cost of replacing personal items if your bags are delayed and, depending on your policy, for the cost of replacing travel documents such as your passport or driver’s licence.
Medical care expenses - Hospital expenses and charges from healthcare providers, such as, physicians, may be covered. Ask your Direct Rate broker about policies which also cover expenses for paramedical charges, such as, those from physiotherapists and chiropractors.
Medical evacuation - Coverage for the cost of land or air ambulance.
Prescription drugs - Some policies cover the cost of prescription drugs you may need while away from home.
Repatriation - Also known as an ‘emergency return home’, this benefit will cover the cost of your return home for medical treatment.
Trip cancellation - Protects you from having to pay some, or, all of the cost of a trip that’s cancelled. It kicks in when the trip is cancelled before its scheduled departure.
Trip interruption - Protects you financially when your trip is altered after the scheduled departure date.
What is not covered by travel insurance?
To make certain that your policy includes the coverages you need during your trip, it’s important to understand what it does not cover, such as:
Unforeseeable events - Insurance companies don’t tend to cover travellers for events that were unforeseeable, such as civil unrest, a terrorist event or a natural disaster.
Some travel insurance policies will cover you if you’re sick or injured, but not if you’re killed.
Pre-existing conditions - In general, insurance companies don’t cover pre-existing conditions.
When you’re purchasing your travel insurance policy, a broker will carefully review your medical history with you. If you do not disclose a pre-existing condition and require medical treatment for the condition while you’re away, your claim may be denied.
Travellers over 50 years old will often need to complete a medical questionnaire. If it’s submitted with incorrect information, a claim could be denied.
Consider asking a physician for assistance completing the questionnaire.
We work with insurance companies which provide coverage for declared pre-existing conditions. Connect with a licensed broker to review your options.
COVID-19 - Any advisory by the government of Canada, recommending against travel abroad, can exempt an insurance company from covering treatment for COVID-19 and -related health problems.
Throughout the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and/or while any government-issued travel advisories are in place, speak with a licensed broker to better understand your coverage options.
Some coverage for COVID-19-related illness may be available through employee insurance plans for people who must travel for essential business.
Specialty types of travel insurance
When you connect with a licensed broker, you may discover specialized coverage types that best suit your circumstance. Two lesser-known types of travel insurance include:
Family travel insurance - Will cover you and another adult as well as up to eight children under 18 years old. Often, everyone named on the policy must reside at the same address.
A family policy may be an economical way to cover yourselves for a range of potential difficulties, such as, lost or stolen baggage, trip delays or cancellations and medical care required.
Be aware that insurance companies may define ‘family’ differently.
Connect with a licensed broker to make sure you have the coverage your family needs.
Travel accident insurance - Protects you in the event of death or dismemberment, while you’re away.
Often described as travel life insurance, this coverage offers more than may be available through travel emergency medical insurance.
People who may be travelling in risky circumstances, such as war correspondents, government workers and those doing missionary work, may find travel accident insurance a suitable option.
Frequently Asked Questions about travel insurance
Travel insurance protects you against financial losses that take place while you’re travelling.
There are several types of travel insurance which cover you if your trip is cancelled or delayed, if you’re injured on a trip and/or require medical treatment. Coverage is also available for lost or stolen luggage.
So that you have the coverages you need, customize your travel insurance plan with the help of a licensed broker.
You may not need to purchase certain types of coverage if they’re already provided through another policy you hold and/or a credit card.
Our online quote tool and the recommendations we provide over the phone are 100% free. Our licensed brokers have expert knowledge of the range of products available from dozens of Canadian travel insurance companies.
We’ll show you how to get the best travel insurance at the lowest rate.
Finding the best plan begins with getting a quote to understand what travel insurance rates are available to you.
To make sure you’ve got the best coverage for the lowest rate, connect with one of our independent brokers: 1-855-754-0340.
While away from home, carry a copy of your travel insurance policy, for easy access.
If something happens on your trip that you believe will access the coverages in your travel insurance policy, immediately contact the insurer to initiate a claim.
If you need medical treatment, share your policy number with your healthcare provider.
Before committing to any health care plan while away, make sure you’ve connected with your insurer to inform them you need medical attention. Every insurance company we work with has an emergency contact number that operates 24/7.
If none is available, connect with us, we will guide you through the claims process: 1-855-754-0350.
When you’re travelling outside of Canada, vacation insurance will protect you financially in the event of difficulties named in your policy.
Depending on your travel insurance plan, you may be covered for unforeseen expenses such as those resulting from an emergency medical situation, a cancelled or delayed trip as well as lost or stolen baggage.
Purchasing travel insurance for travel within Canada is also a good idea because many policies include coverage for medical expenses.
If you have medical coverage through a provincial plan, you may not be covered similarly in another province. Without travel insurance, you could end up paying additional fees for treatment you received in a province you’re visiting.
Travellers who venture off the coast of Canada should consider whether they need international travel insurance coverage. In the event of difficulties that take place in international waters, you’ll want to be sure you have the appropriate insurance.
Once you have a quote, connect with one of our licensed brokers to customize a policy that’s right for you and your next trip: 1-855-754-0350.
We’ll customize your policy, examining the variables that insurance companies use to determine what travel insurance in Canada is best for you:
Age
Gender
Length of stay
Past claims history
Your destination
Your medical history
A policy that’s right for you may not be ideal for another person.
The cost of your travel insurance coverage depends, in part, on the type you’re seeking.
While rates vary depending on the traveller and the trip, you can expect to pay about $5/day for a trip abroad.
Healthy travellers who are 60 and over may pay about $15/day for a trip abroad.
To find cheap travel insurance in Canada, connect with a licensed broker to review your options: 1-855-754-0350.
Travel insurance is available for any length of trip you’re planning.
There are policies for: per-trip, multiple-trip and primary insurance.
Per-trip policies: This is considered a form of long-term travel insurance. It usually pertains to single trips that are between one and 365 days.
Multi-trip travel insurance: In Canada, this type of insurance covers a volume of trips within the policy period of one year.
It is popularly known as an ‘annual plan’.
Often, each trip must fall within an established policy period of between seven and 60 days.
It’s ideal for people looking for short-term travel insurance and is popular among people who travel often for business as well as Canadians who travel several months at a time in the United States.
Many Canadians who travel abroad during the winter months purchase a multi-trip plan with coverage for up to 60 days, then, later purchase a single trip extension for 120 days. With this approach they get coverage for 180 days.
Another popular option for Canadian snowbirds is to purchase 60-day multi-plan insurance. Then, before it expires, return to Canada for a few days to restart the trip with renewed coverage.
Primary insurance policies: Provides coverage for people who are ineligible for coverage under the government health insurance policy where they live. For example, foreign students or some temporary workers.
Yes, travel insurance for pregnancy is available.
After using our free, online quote tool for travel insurance in Canada, you can purchase a policy. Or, you can connect on a call with one of our licensed brokers to discuss your options: 1-855-754-0350.
Be sure to highlight that you’re expecting.
Many insurance companies exclude certain coverages for pregnant women.
For example, while a travel insurance policy will cover a pregnant woman, it often will not cover costs for a child born during a trip.
Many insurance companies will provide coverage until 10 weeks before delivery. Thereafter a specialized type of coverage may be necessary.
We recommend that if you’re travelling while pregnant you have a clear understanding of what coverages your policy includes.
Yes. One of our brokers will confirm your age and answer any questions you have about how policies for seniors differ from policies for other age groups.
Policies are available for travellers with pre-existing conditions, however, not every insurance company defines ‘pre-existing condition’ in the same way.
When getting a quote online and when speaking with a broker, it’s important to share accurate information about your medical history.
Consider reviewing your medical history with a physician before purchasing travel medical insurance. A detailed understanding of your medical history will help you secure the best coverage – particularly if you’re in an emergency.
Travel insurance coverage applies regardless of destination. However, if you’re travelling to more than one country during a single trip, a broker can help you better understand the range of global travel insurance plans which could make the best sense for your trip.
A government-issued travel advisory against all non-essential travel or against all travel may exempt an insurance company from having to provide coverage.
Yes, absolutely. It’s legal, free, common and convenient to buy travel insurance online in Canada.
We’ve helped thousands of Canadians find the best travel insurance at the cheapest rate.
One of our brokers is available over the phone to answer any questions, Monday to Friday: 1-855-754-0350.